The first goal of apprenticeship to Jesus is to “be with Jesus.” But I've always struggled with the HOW. How do we do that? How do we abide with Jesus when He is not even with us? How do we stay close to someone who is not even here? Is it going to church, reading my bible, praying? How do we “abide in the vine” in the chaos of the urban, digital world? It’s pretty straightforward: to experience the life of Jesus, we adopt the lifestyle of Jesus.
Being With Jesus Part 1
September 24, 2023 • Neil Montgomery
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Practicing the Way of Jesus
How We Change - Teaching and Practice Part 1
November 19, 2023 • Neil Montgomery
We live in the age of self-help, therapy, and technique-obsession. Deep down, we all know we're broken and need to change. The question is, How? This week we begin our in depth look at the "how" of transformation. Through teaching we get a vision of the good life. Through practice, we align our loves and longings with those of Jesus.
Doing What Jesus Did Part 2
November 5, 2023 • Neil Montgomery • Luke 7:34, Philippians 2:1–11, 1 Peter 2:11–12, Luke 19:10
The thought of being like Jesus and doing what He did is so challenging. After all, He was perfect. But Jesus gets us. He understands we live in a fallen world and that we will “wrestle” with being an apprentice. As we practice the way of Jesus…we begin to understand His teaching, we cultivate healthy habits and engage in godly community. We begin to look more and more like Jesus. Then doing what He did becomes a fruit of our intimacy with Him. However, like Timothy…it’s not easy. We labor and strive in a battle that the Apostle Paul called the “good fight.” "Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers." -1 Timothy 4:7b-10